Speaking to IRNA, the province's governor general, Ahmad Hossein-Zadegan, said that in line with the government's policies to boost waste management in the Iranian northern provinces, the ministry is establishing regional stations for converting waste to raw materials and energy.
“When completed, a major part of the work will preferably be assigned to local tech firms and startups,” Financial Tribune quoted Hossein-Zadegan as saying.
"The required budget for the waste treatment plants is supplied from the import taxes and the toll domestic manufacturing units regularly pay for the production of environmentally-harmful items, such as plastic bags and cutlery."
During a meeting with provincial managers on Saturday, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said all the material and technology needed for the establishment of treatment plant are available inside the country.
"Therefore, the quality and efficiency of work are the only things we should put extra focus on," he said.
Waste separation at source was another topic discussed at the meeting.
Rahmani noted that to promote the culture and develop the infrastructures of waste separation, the experiences of developed countries should be reviewed and used.
Mazandaran's governor general further said startups and tech firms can also assist through their innovative and technological ideas.
“The construction of waste treatment plants has already started and the project’s progress will be monitored by the ministry through regular reports,” Hossein-Zadegan said.
The northern provinces of the country, especially forests, lakes and coastlines, have been suffering from poor waste management for quite a long time. All kinds of trash are recklessly dumped in unsanitary conditions in natural surroundings due to the lack of accountability of municipalities.
Such waste disposal not only mars the geological features of the region, but the resulting sewage also contaminates groundwater resources.
This can cause the spread of diseases in rural and urban areas, as cattle might feed on these materials and rainfall could carry effluents downstream.
Environmentalists have long demanded that municipalities must be tasked with using standard and up-to-date techniques, or import modern waste-burners to dispose of rubbish, turn it into compost or use it to generate electricity.